BE HEARD in the Workplace Act

Key Points

• This proposal aims to stop workplace harassment by requiring businesses with 15 or more employees to have clear anti-discrimination policies and provide regular training for both workers and bosses. It also expands legal protections to include independent contractors, interns, and volunteers who were often left out of these laws in the past.
• Tipped workers, such as servers and bartenders, would see a major change in their pay. The plan would slowly raise their base hourly pay over several years until it matches the standard federal minimum wage, ensuring they do not have to rely as heavily on tips to make a living.
• To help workers seek justice, the bill would ban 'forced arbitration' clauses that prevent employees from suing their employers in court. It also limits the use of 'hush money' agreements, or nondisclosure agreements, that stop victims from speaking out about harassment or discrimination they experienced on the job.
• Workers would get much more time to report problems. Instead of the current limit of roughly six months, people would have up to four years to file a formal complaint about discrimination or harassment. This gives victims more time to process what happened and find legal help.
• The government would provide new grants to help low-income workers get legal advice and representation. It also creates a national task force and regular surveys to track how common harassment is across different industries and find better ways to stop it.